Lee Common

It’s been a month since we last walked. The weather has conspired to reserve all the good stuff for the week (what use is that?) and the rain for the weekends. We’re up early and, although we miss the sunrise, we do catch the first few hours of daylight. We’ve parked in the Little Hampden Estate car park on Cobblershill Lane and the first part of our walk is through Cockshoots Wood. Several times the sun breaks through the gloom and the light is magical. For the remainder of the walk dull, winter skies are the order of the day.

More countryside that will be engulfed by on-rushing HS2 today. This part of the Missbourne Valley is peaceful and we have the paths to ourselves. Not surprising really, given the cold and the occasional wintry shower. We skirt The Lee (famous for not much, really), passing instead through Lee Common and we stumble upon a fairy-tale cottage in the valley…as if you needed a reminder that this is Roald Dahl country.

Crossing the A413 near Great Missenden, we follow the South Bucks Way back to the car. A gentle 7.4 mile Saturday morning stroll to get back walking again.